Cops and Speed

Yesterday, the Sun-Sentinel started a three-part series on cops and speed. This type of investigative reporting is nothing new. From time-to-time, media outlets will follow officers and videotape them. In the past, some stations have even equipped their cars with radar units to record cops speeding. Advances in technology have made capturing vehicle and driving information even easier.

It takes a special kind of person to willingly rush toward gunfire. Some would suggest that cops have a high tolerance for all sorts of potential danger. Until recently, we have chosen to largely ignore this risk-taking tendency and its influence on driving behavior. Training has focused on trying to make cops more capable drivers at higher speeds, while simply slowing down has been a secondary theme.

Fortunately, we see some attitudes changing. The Law Officer Below 100 campaign was launched in 2010. The goal of the program is to reduce the annual total number of line-of-duty deaths in the US to fewer than 100. The five tenets of Below 100 are:

• Wear Your Belt

• Wear Your Vest

• Watch Your Speed

• WIN—What’s Important Now?
• Remember: Complacency Kills

We adopted this program last July and continue to try and reinforce these principles. Officers working patrol assignments are required to wear their body armor. We have installed signs on interior walls and exterior gates, dedicated an internal web page to Below 100 content, and we are introducing more safety reporting into our monthly department performance reviews. Last Friday, we instituted a “hands free” policy for the use of phones and other devices while vehicles are in motion. We are making Bluetooth devices available to our employees.

At times, it’s tough to achieve a balance in this job. When lives are on the line, response times are important, but safely arriving on the scene is paramount.

It’s important for you to know that we will stay focused on developing a better safety mindset, as we protect and serve. Thank you for your support.

How to Save a Life

As far as “life saving” events go, it was fairly quick and simple, seemingly routine. Officer Tony Rumph (pictured with me below) was enjoying a break at the station when one of our clerks, Grace Rosa, staggered into the room. Tony immediately recognized that she was in distress. She had a hand around her throat and she was pointing at her mouth.

Without hesitation, Tony quickly positioned himself to perform the Heimlich maneuver and administered several abdominal thrusts. An obstruction was dislodged from Grace’s throat and she started breathing on her own.

Tony received the Boca Raton Police Services Department’s Life Saving Award last Wednesday. He didn’t pull a passenger from a burning car or carry a wounded victim to safety through a hail of bullets. However, if Tony didn't apply his skills, Grace might not be here with us today.

As police officers, we recognize that we may need to apply our training at any time, even to save the lives of friends, loved ones or co-workers. How would you respond in a similar circumstance? If someone is choking or suffers a heart attack, are you prepared to respond effectively?

As you can see from Tony’s experience, it’s not always complicated. CPR is a relatively easy technique to learn, and the return on the investment of a little bit of time and effort could be, well, life changing.

Visit the American Heart Association web site to locate a CPR class near you. Don’t find yourself wishing you had known how to save a life.